The invention relates to a method for extracting foreign bodies, such as sheaths, metal parts, plastic parts or the like and heavy parts, such as stems, rind remnants, leaf parts or the like from fibrous material, such as fiber tufts, waste material or the like, and encompasses an apparatus for performing the method.
In the reprocessing of fiber material wastes, such as cotton waste, plant waste, and the like, it is becoming more and more important to separate out metal parts and heavy parts from the fiber materials before the fiber materials are delivered to subsequent processing machines, such as raveling machines and preferably sawtooth cleaners. Magnetic separators commonly are used to extract a substantial proportion of the individual magnetic parts, but they are incapable of extracting non-magnetic materials, such as wood and plastic parts, or heavier, undesirable plant parts such as stems which impair the functioning of the subsequent fiber processing machines.